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US: Religious Tax Exemption

Should religious organizations be tax exempt?

  • Yes

    Votes: 4 28.6%
  • Yes, but more heavily regulated.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No

    Votes: 10 71.4%

  • Total voters
    14

Warren Clark

Informer
Huh i meant hand in hand with the opinion that regions should be taxed not in there ideas.

oh. yeah, religion should be put aside anyway. but most religious organizations such as the one that made chic-fil-a has become politically active and should be taxed for it.
 

1137

Here until I storm off again
Premium Member
Hmm Satanists and Atheists go hand in hand i wonder why... :)

Just a question Orias if Christian organizations should be taxed then Satanist organizations should also right?

Yes, I thought this thread was about taxing religion, not only Christianity.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Yes, I thought this thread was about taxing religion, not only Christianity.

So did I, but discussions like this always revolve around Christianity as they by far are the largest non-profit religious groupings in the United States.

While I understand people's concerns about abuses, I think it needs to be realized that taxing non-profit organizations would drive a significant number of them out of existence. Especially minority religious organizations that don't exactly bring in a lot of monetary support in the first place. They wouldn't be able to afford land or facilities for like-minded people to form a community. That's not cool, yo.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Maybe. But eh, I'm not going to pretend to understand the US tax code, but something in me cringes at the thought of taxing any non-profit organization. I may personally dislike the uber wealthy mega churches, but if I'm honest with myself, it's because I'm damned jealous. If Neopagans had that kind of cash, we'd be buying up so much land and converting it into nature preserves it would be pure awesome. It feels rotten hypocritical of me to say megachurches aren't okay but the hypothetical wealthy Neopagan organization that buys lots of land to put in a preserve is just fine.
 

McBell

Unbound
I can assure you, there is no bias via google.
unless you believe that google is a liberal run company.
Just as hollywood is.

These antics I have no time for...
either accept the evidence or don't, at least I could provide it.
Seems you did not look up Selection Bias...
Will you bother looking up "counting the hits and ignoring the misses"?
 

McBell

Unbound
Maybe. But eh, I'm not going to pretend to understand the US tax code, but something in me cringes at the thought of taxing any non-profit organization. I may personally dislike the uber wealthy mega churches, but if I'm honest with myself, it's because I'm damned jealous. If Neopagans had that kind of cash, we'd be buying up so much land and converting it into nature preserves it would be pure awesome. It feels rotten hypocritical of me to say megachurches aren't okay but the hypothetical wealthy Neopagan organization that buys lots of land to put in a preserve is just fine.
Non profit organization?
Is that why so many churches are so big and cost inefficient?
So that they can claim to be "non-profit"?
 

Orias

Left Hand Path
Non profit organization?
Is that why so many churches are so big and cost inefficient?
So that they can claim to be "non-profit"?

Its because its not profitable for the government and people within the government. Duh!
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Non profit organization?
Is that why so many churches are so big and cost inefficient?
So that they can claim to be "non-profit"?

My, my, you certainly are making some serious conspiratorial accusations there. Do you have any evidence to support these allegations? Again, I'm well aware that there can be (and are) abuses. However, if such is going to be claimed, evidence needs to be presented. Even then, it does not follow from the description "big and cost inefficient" that an organization is conspiring to get tax breaks. Heck, it seems more logical to me to note that non-profits typically offer low salaries and therefore can't recruit the best people for the job (thus mistakes happen more often). Serious accusations demand serious evidence.

Regardless, as someone who has little to no background in finance and operations of organizations, I'm not in a position to evaluate such evidence properly even if it were presented. This means if I whine about "mismanagement" of certain religious organization's finances I'd be doing little more than making ill-informed judgements grounded in mere prejudice instead of reason. I have little comment other than to suggest one not oversimplify the picture and question whether the abuses of a few justify spoiling the entire pot.
 

McBell

Unbound
My, my, you certainly are making some serious conspiratorial accusations there. Do you have any evidence to support these allegations? Again, I'm well aware that there can be (and are) abuses. However, if such is going to be claimed, evidence needs to be presented. Even then, it does not follow from the description "big and cost inefficient" that an organization is conspiring to get tax breaks. Heck, it seems more logical to me to note that non-profits typically offer low salaries and therefore can't recruit the best people for the job (thus mistakes happen more often). Serious accusations demand serious evidence.

Regardless, as someone who has little to no background in finance and operations of organizations, I'm not in a position to evaluate such evidence properly even if it were presented. This means if I whine about "mismanagement" of certain religious organization's finances I'd be doing little more than making ill-informed judgements grounded in mere prejudice instead of reason. I have little comment other than to suggest one not oversimplify the picture and question whether the abuses of a few justify spoiling the entire pot.
"conspiring to get tax breaks"?

Wow
 

Pegg

Jehovah our God is One
tax is a legal obligation on 'income' derived from a business enterprise.

So if a church has a stream of 'income' derived from a functioning business, then that income should surely be taxed in accord with law.

But if a community/religious group pools together its money to promote a cause, then the money donated is not being derived from a business, so there is no legal basis in the government taking tax from it. If I personally donate some money to a charity or cause or church fund, it has come out of my nett pay...that nett money is the left over of what has already been taxed by the government from my wage. So should they take more of my money just because i've given it away to support some group or organization?
 
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Breathe

Hostis humani generis
There will always be pros and cons,
It would seem to make some motives unclear, but it would make a community come together closer if they truly want a place to connect. If people really want a church, they will pay for it.
But can they afford to pay for it?
Not every church is in an affluent, middle class area.
The idea of taxing it will cause strains on smaller churches and churches in poor areas and make people lose a pillar of their community.


Then all the actual donations can go for whatever they please.
Most have already taken it upon themselves to put their dollars towards government concerns (such as abortion and gay marriage) which have no relation to their private organization.
"Most".

Yeah, I don't think so. Try some.

Besides, government should stay out of religion, and religion should stay out of government.
 
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